He hesitated and glanced again at the ugly man. He said indulgently,
knowing that he was indulgent: "On Sun Re-creation Morning, the
Citizeness may dine on bread." Bearing in mind the occasion, it was
only a small favor and therefore a very proper one.
The bread was good, very good. They shared out the half-kilo between
them and ate it in silence, as it deserved. Germyn finished his first
portion and, in the prescribed pause before beginning his second,
elected to refresh his eyes upward.
He nodded to his wife and stepped outside.
* * * * *
Overhead, the Old Sun parceled out its last barrel-scrapings of heat.
It was larger than the stars around it, but many of them were nearly as
bright.